Maxine Greene and the democratic project in education: signposts for the Irish educational system

Abstract

This paper considers the work of philosopher Maxine Greene as it pertains to the democratic project in education, with a particular focus on the Irish educational context. The author considers the extent to which specific aspects of the educational concerns raised by Greene, with respect to the realisation of the democratic project in the context of post-industrial hi-tech societies, might help to illuminate certain educational challenges that are currently being faced in hi-tech post-modern societies. Greene has been regarded as a luminary in the educational field, both within the United States and beyond. She is principally concerned with espousing a conception of the educational project that allows for the flourishing of human freedom. It is anticipated that aspects of the Irish reality, especially in the wake of the Celtic tiger, might be able to resonate with certain aspects of the concerns raised by Greene.